EU ministers agree Schengen zone 'not the problem' in Ceuta migrant influx

Lead

European interior ministers convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address the influx of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, expressing solidarity with Madrid while agreeing to bolster external security. In the aftermath, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska insisted that the Schengen travel zone had not been compromised, despite calls from some EU nations for Spain's suspension.

Coverage comparison

Reports on the meeting varied in emphasis. Africa News highlighted ministers' concern over foreign information interference, while the BBC noted the EU's praise for Spain's swift response. Deutsche Welle focused on the agreement to beef up external security, and France 24 reported on efforts to resolve the crisis. The Guardian drew attention to the EU's migration chief criticising Spain's regularization plan, while RFI underscored Spain's defence of the Schengen zone. TASS quoted Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares calling for solidarity from EU partners.

Key claims

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the surge of migrants into Ceuta did not 'compromise' the Schengen travel zone, adding that there was no possibility of secondary movement to mainland Europe or other member states. He confirmed that most of the migrants who entered the enclave had been returned to Morocco, with figures ranging from 50,000 to 72,000 arrivals, and approximately 70,000 returns.

The death toll from the incident varies across reports. The Spanish government's delegation in Ceuta said 75 people died, while some reports cite at least 80 deaths when including those on the Moroccan side. One report noted that Ceuta authorities had placed the death toll at 88 on Monday.

EU interior ministers expressed concern about foreign information interference linked to the circulation of images during the crisis, with French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez saying there was no rift in the EU and that all member states had expressed solidarity with Spain. He added that foreign states used the images to criticise the EU's migration management policy.

Italy suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain on free movement, a move backed by Denmark and Finland. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis urged a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his government's more open approach to migration, criticizing some European governments for acting 'driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.'

European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner said the crisis was 'a test of our resilience' and that Europe had 'passed this test.' However, he also criticised Spain's plan to regularise undocumented migrants as 'not a good signal' for Europe. The EU's border agency Frontex reported 178,000 irregular border crossings in 2025.

The ministers agreed to continue fighting migrant smuggling networks, reinforce returns, strengthen EU borders, and build partnerships with third countries. They also committed to improving communication during crises to counter foreign information manipulation.

Perspectives

Spain – Spanish officials maintained that the Schengen zone was never endangered and rejected calls for suspension. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended his government's migration approach, arguing that some European governments had failed to show solidarity.

EU institutions and other member states – The European Commission praised Spain's response but expressed reservations about its regularization plan. Italy, Denmark, and other nations called for firmer action and suspended Schengen provisions with Spain.

France – Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez affirmed EU unity and noted French reinforcement of border controls with Spain, while highlighting foreign interference in the crisis.